State of Origin 2018

State of Origin 2018

Welcome to The Roar‘s coverage of the 2018 State of Origin series, including news, previews, video, highlights and team announcements. We’ll be updating this page daily as the latest news breaks.

In 2018, one game will be played in Melbourne, followed by games in Sydney and Brisbane.

New South Wales will head into the series with a new coach as Brad Fittler takes the reigns from Laurie Daley. Kevin Walters will again coach the Maroons after a successful 2017 series.

The Maroons have won 11 of the last 12 series but will head into 2018 without stalwarts of that success Johnathan Thurston and Cooper Cronk.

More on State of Origin 1:
» The ultimate Origin Game 1 preview
» The more Origin changes, the more it stays the same
» The three keys to a New South Wales victory
» A Melbournian’s guide to Origin 1 at the MCG

The fixtures for the 2018 State of Origin series are as follows:

	Date	Time (AEST)	Home	Away	Venue
Game 1	Wed Jun 6	8:00 PM	Queensland Maroons	New South Wales Blues	Melbourne Cricket Ground
Game 2	Sun Jun 24	8:00 PM	New South Wales Blues	Queensland Maroons	ANZ Stadium, Homebush
Game 3	Wed Jul 11	8:00 PM	Queensland Maroons	New South Wales Blues	Suncorp Stadium, Brisbane

*Important note – most Origin games commence later than this time. The exact kick-off, after the Australian national anthem, is performed, and TV specials are completed, is closer to 8:15pm.

2017 State of Origin series

In 2017, Queensland won the arrangement making it 11 arrangement wins over the most recent 12 years in the wake of taking a prevailing 22-6 triumph over NSW at Suncorp Stadium, with Valentine Holmes scoring three attempts. 

Holmes scored two attempts in the main portion of Game 3 to give Queensland a 12-0 advantage at halftime. A Josh Dugan attempt took it back to 12-6, however a third from Holmes and one from Jarrod Wallace saw Queensland flee with a 22-6 arrangement choosing triumph. 

Queensland's Dane Gagai was granted the Wally Lewis Medal for a player of the arrangement, ending up only the principal winger in the historical backdrop of Origin to bring home the honor. 

Prior in the arrangement, the Blues traveled to a 28-4 Game 1 win in Brisbane before the Maroons hit back with a nailbiting 18-16 win in Game 2 in Sydney to set up the decider, kthe indness of a last-wheeze Johnathan Thurston transformation after Dane Gagai scored two attempts in the second half.

History and format

Considered by numerous as the apex of rugby alliance, State Of Origin is one of Australia's head brandishing occasions, played before sold-out stadiums. The arrangement itself is challenged between New South Wales and Queensland, who have framed an epic competition that has brought about a portion of the hardest and most handy amusements ever. 

Since its beginning in 1980, the outcomes amongst NSW and QLD had been uncommonly notwithstanding, contributing further to the opposition's prosperity, until the point when a 12-year streak in which Queensland have won 11 arrangement. Generally, the Maroons have won 24 arrangement contrasted with the Blues' 13. 

As of late, State of Origin has been played on Wednesday evenings, separated three weeks separated. In 2018 however, the second session of the arrangement will be played as a remain solitary diversion on Sunday night in Sydney. The first and third recreations will stay on Wednesday evenings.

Year-by-year Origin history

2017 series

2017 Game 1: New South Wales made a positive start to the series, clinching a 28-4 victory away from home.

2017 Game 2: The Maroons returned the favour during Game 2 though, coming from behind in the second half to win 18-16.

2017 Game 3: The Blues never recovered as they travelled north for Game 3, looking like a shell of the team they were in the first game of the series, eventually going down 22-6 to lose another series.

2016 series

2016 Game 1: The first game of the series saw Queensland take a low-scoring 6-4 victory away from home.

2016 Game 2: Queensland wrapped up the series in straight sets. It was another tight affair, but more open with more points as the Maroons clinched a 26-16 victory.

2016 Game 3: New South Wales picked up a consolation victory in Game 3, taking an 18-14 victory with a miracle try on the buzzer.

2015 series – how it happened

2015 Game 1: Queensland won the first match of the State of Origin series 11-10, at ANZ Stadium in Sydney.

2015 Game 2: A record 91,514 fans packed the MCG in Melbourne. NSW won the match 26-18 thanks to a heroic performance from Michael Jennings, forcing a decider which was played in Brisbane.

2015 Game 3: 52,500 people were in Suncorp Stadium to witness a complete domination from the Maroons, who won 52-6. The 46-point win was the biggest winning margin in Queensland Origin history.

2014 series – how it happened

Game 1 of the 2014 series on May 28 saw the two teams take to Suncorp Stadium. The build-up was as tense, and when the teams took the park the action was ferocious.

Despite an early Darius Boyd try, New South Wales enjoyed the ascendency in the first half, with tries to Brett Morris and Jarryd Hayne seeing them take a 10-4 lead.

As the second half began, a penalty goal took the Blues to a 12-4 lead, but Darius Boyd’s second try brought the game back to life. The Blues, however, didn’t relent and managed to hold off at fast-finishing Queensland to win 12-8.

Game 2 was competitive, controversial, and full of niggle, which made for a low-scoring contest. But NSW’s 6-4 win resulted in their first series victory over Queensland since 2005.

Queensland took two penalty goals either side of halftime through Johnathan Thurston. But Trent Hodkinson managed to convert pressure into points for the Blues when after five consecutive sets attacking the Queensland line he slipped through the Maroons’ defense for the only try of the match.

There was a controversial moment at the end of the match, with the ball brushing Aaron Woods before going dead on the full, but the Blues were awarded a penalty and held on for the win and the series victory.

Game 3 was a ‘dead rubber’ by name but was still played with passion, pride, and intensity. It showed the Queensland team of old, as the Maroons piled on five tries to thrash the Blues 32-8.

Although they only took a 6-2 lead into halftime, the win was built on the back of an opening half where NSW was forced to get through a mountain of defensive work. As a result, the Maroons managed four tries in a clinic of attacking play in the second half.

Tries to Aiden Guerra, Billy Slater, Darius Boyd and Cooper Cronk saw the Maroons home in a thrashing, but it didn’t stop Blues skipper Paul Gallen from holding aloft the shield after the match in front of 50,000 Queenslanders.